Updates, advisories and surprises

(10:43 PM ET) HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- China Shenhua Energy Co.(HK:1088)said Tuesday its coal output rose 18% in September from the monthly average recorded throughout 2006. Shenhua Energy, China's largest integrated coal producer by output, said coal output totaled 13.5 million metric tons in September, up from the monthly average of 11.4 million tones recorded throughout 2006, the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Tuesday. The company also said its coal sales in September rose 32% from the monthly average in 2006. Shares of Shenhua Energy fell 0.2% to HK$53.75 in mid-morning Hong Kong trading.

HealthSouth receives $440 million tax recovery from IRS

(10:12 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- HealthSouth Corp.
HLS, -1.51%
received a $440 million tax recovery from the Internal Revenue Service. The Birmingham, Ala., healthcare company said Monday the recovery is for overstatements of taxable income attributed to financial fraud perpetrated by members of prior management. The recovery includes a tax refund of $296 million from the years 1996 through 1999, and $144 million in associated interest income. HealthSouth said it plans to use the proceeds to reduce debt. Shares of HealthSouth traded recently at $18.05, up 59 cents, or 3.4%.

Mattel says Brazil import issue still unresolved

(10:07 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Toy maker Mattel Inc.
MAT, -1.44%
said Monday it had still not resolved its import issue with Brazil. Earlier this year, Brazil suspended imports of Mattel products until the country could tell if the company was following local safety standards. On an earnings conference call, Chief Executive Robert Eckert said the issue was still unresolved, and if the import licenses are not reinstated soon, it could represent a 2% risk to Mattel's fourth-quarter sales. Eckert also said retailers are likely "a little anxious" about recent product recalls, but they were as anxious about the overall economy. He added that consumer anxiety about the recalls is "largely behind us."

Nuveen Investments reports decline in third-quarter income

(9:44 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Nuveen Investments Inc.
JNC
said Monday that its third-quarter net income fell to $43.1 million, or 51 cents a share, from a year-earlier profit of $46.2 million, or 56 cents a share. Revenue rose to $214.2 million from $181.9 million. The Chicago provider of investment services said Monday that total assets under management at Sept. 30 were $170.4 billion, up from $154.2 billion a year ago, but down slightly from $171.6 billion at the end of the second quarter.

Schwab's net from continuing operations rises

(8:57 AM ET) BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Charles Schwab Corp.
SCHW, -2.63%
before Monday's opening bell said its third-quarter net income totaled $1.5 billion, including a $1.2 billion after-tax gain on the sale of U.S. Trust to Bank of America Corp.
BAC, -2.27%
The San Francisco-based company said income from continuing operations, which excludes the impact of U.S. Trust, rose to $323 million, or 27 cents a share, from $230 million, or 18 cents a share the previous year. Net revenue climbed to $1.29 billion from $1.07 billion a year earlier.

Primedia sees 2007 revenue growth nearly flat

(8:07 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Primedia Inc.
PRM, -6.90%
expects full year 2007 revenue growth to be flat to low single digits. The Norcross, Ga., consumer guide publisher projects full-year adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization at its consumer guides unit to be about flat compared to 2006. Primedia expects its Apartment Guide business to post sequential quarterly revenue growth in 2007, while full-year revenue is expected to exceed original expectations. However, the company sees the unit's full-year revenue declining compared to 2006. Primedia said full-year revenue growth is expected at all of its units, except Auto Guide, but believes growth will be at a slower rate than originally expected.

Citigroup profit falls 57%

(6:53 AM ET) NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Citigroup
C, -1.64%
the nation's largest bank, said Monday that its third quarter profit slipped 57% after accounting for previously announced write-downs for bad loans and other other credit issues. Citi said its third quarter net income slipped to $2.38 billion or 47 cents a share versus $5.51 billion, or $1.10 a share a year ago. Citi's third quarter revenue was $22.66 billion, versus $21.42 billion last year. On October 1, 2007, Citi announced that it expected third quarter 2007 net income to decline in the range of 60%, subject to finalizing third quarter results. "This was a disappointing quarter, even in the context of the dislocations in the sub-prime mortgage and credit markets. A significant amount of our income decline was in our fixed income business, where we have a long track record of strong earnings, and this quarter's performance was well below our expectations," CEO Chuck Prince said in a press release Monday.

New Oriental Education profit grows 55.1%

(6:31 AM ET) LONDON (MarketWatch) -- New Oriental Education and Technology Group
EDU, -1.58%
which provides private educational services in China, said its fiscal first-quarter net profit rose 55.1% to $33.9 million or 23 cents a share as total net revenue rose 42.5% to $81.1 million. The group said total student enrollment in language training and test preparation courses rose 30.5% to around 440,500. For the second quarter the group expects net revenue to be in a range of $28 million to $29.8 million.

LVMH 9-month revenue rose 7.7%; Louis Vuitton strong

(3:03 AM ET) TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- LVMH,(FR:012101)
LVMUY, -0.43%
the Paris luxury-products group, reported nine-month revenue rose 7.7% on the back of an "exceptional" third-quarter performance at Louis Vuitton. Revenue reached 11.45 billion euros ($16.24 billion) from 10.63 billion euros in the year-earlier period. For the group, internally generated, or organic, growth in revenue was 13%. Within individual units, nine-month overall revenue rose 8% in fashion and leather goods and 16% in watches and jewelry, LVMH reported. LVMH affirmed its outlook of a "significant increase" in results in 2007 over 2006. It said it's working within a "very well-oriented global economic environment, moderated by the weight of the excessive valuation of the Euro felt by European producers."

Hennes & Mauritz sales up 25%

(2:30 AM ET) LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz(SE:HMB)said Monday that sales in local currencies including sales tax rose 25% in September compared to the same month a year ago. Same-store sales rose 12%. The group said it had a total of 1,452 stores at the end of the month, compared to 1,300 a year ago.

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